After beating Italy in their opener, France welcome Ireland to Paris in a huge clash
(Picture: Getty Images)Super Saturday is the marketing moniker given to the final day of the Six Nations Championship, when three fixtures are loaded into one day. We have to wait five weeks more for that, but tomorrow’s action is no pale imitation.
Wales, with injuries and generational change combining for a bout of pessimism, host the buoyant Scots, before Ireland travel to France.
That game has been billed as a title decider, but in Round Two, things are never that straightforward, with both still to play Scotland and England, who feel like the next best teams. There is a long way to go yet in this very open Championship.
There was a lurch in the markets yesterday, when Ireland revealed that their totemic skipper Johnny Sexton had been ruled out with a minor hamstring strain, and replaced by Joey Carbery.
Carbery is 26, has been an international since 2016, and has amassed 28 caps through spells of unfortunate injury. This, though, will be his first Six Nations start, his first appearance against France, and the biggest day of his Test career. On the bench, Jack Carty returns for the first time since the 2019 World Cup.
Sexton has dominated the No10 jersey for Ireland in recent years, and started every trip to Paris in the last decade. He will still be with the squad at the Stade de France, and is not expected to be out for long, so do not expect anything radically different now a new man has the keys to No10.
“I just want to see him be himself, be super confident that he’s got to bring his own game to the party. He’s in a great place,” coach Andy Farrell said of Carbery.
Looking at the heavy-duty French side, it seems certain that Carbery can expect some special attention. They have some monstrous forwards and a six-two bench to keep the bludgeoning bulk, physicality and intensity running for all 80 minutes. In the backs, Yoram Moefana – at 21, further evidence of the rich vein of French talent – comes in at inside centre for the injured Jonathan Danty. Virimi Vakatawa is not required.
Before that, Wales face a fight to keep their title defence alive against Scotland. Wales’ conveyor belt of back-row talent is on show with a debut for Jac Morgan in the absence of multiple Lions.
Scotland have rung the changes, with vice-captain Jamie Ritchie out for the season and replaced by Sam Skinner, and Sione Tuipulotu preferred to Sam Johnson at centre. And the front-row that made such a difference off the bench in the win over England is rewarded with a start in a bid to batter Wales at the set-piece.
